An Ode to DVDs

As a kid, watching movies and TV shows felt like a special event, and, in a way, it was. I could only tune into my favorite TV shows once a week, and I couldn't begin to describe the excitement I felt after receiving a new DVD to add to the shelf, or the disappointment I felt when it was time to watch a movie at a friend's house and their DVD collection was… not as good, to say the least. Either way, every household's collection was an extension of everyone in it, and what made your collection the best was simply the fact that it was yours. 

The way in which media is consumed is constantly evolving, and the era of DVDs and asking your mom what 8/7c meant was replaced by the seemingly more convenient and cost-efficient streaming services. You could watch any TV show at any time, all at once, and you no longer had to buy a movie ticket or DVD every time you wanted to watch a new movie, and it was working. One of the biggest selling points of purchasing a subscription was that, unlike cable television, streaming services were ad-free. Movie and television lovers could watch a seemingly endless catalog while maintaining a completely immersive experience.

However, the world of streaming now looks very different from what it did at the beginning, and it has virtually everything to do with cost. Streaming services are more expensive than they used to be, and there are also more of them, meaning most people are paying for multiple subscriptions. Additionally, almost all major streaming services have ads, unless customers are willing to pay for a more expensive, ad-free subscription tier. Though there are some services that offer free subscriptions that are ad-supported, like Tubi, it is odd that one of the biggest arguments for the switch to streaming no longer applies. For me, it’s starting to feel pointless.

I recently started collecting DVD’s for the first time in my adult life, and maybe it’s the streaming fatigue, or maybe it’s nostalgia, but I have found myself appreciating my favorite movies in a way I never have before. Owning a piece of art, no matter the form, will make you intimately familiar with that piece. If you have a painting hanging on the wall, you may notice something you didn’t notice before every time you walk past; film is no different. Since starting my DVD collection, I find myself rewatching my favorite movies more than I would if I watched movies primarily through streaming, where there is always something new to watch. Every time I rewatch my favorite DVD’s, I can savor every detail, and have come away with something new each time the credits roll.

There is also something inherently social about DVD collecting. Inviting someone over to watch a movie and having a shelf of physical movies to choose from that were each hand-selected by you is an incredibly personal movie-watching experience. Especially compared to the modern equivalent, which is scrolling through a streaming catalog for what feels like forever, until you’re both too overwhelmed by choice to pick what to watch, so you just turn on a Family Guy Funny Moments compilation. 

I began collecting DVDs after finding a bin in my parents' garage full of my childhood movies. I had forgotten most of them existed, but the memories came flooding back with each movie I picked up. I began to wonder what proof I have for the movies I loved after the days of DVDs were over; what movies impacted me so heavily, but don’t have the scratched discs and broken cases to prove it. I love convenience. But it is saddening that the movies, CD’s, and books that were once displayed on shelves in every household are now sitting in garages and landfills, replaced by digital versions of themselves that will never be appreciated in the same way.